Saliva is key to some critical functions of the mouth, including taste, digestion and providing an ideal environment for healthy teeth and gums. Without saliva, you’d be missing out on tasting delicious meals, and it would be detrimental to your oral health.
Ultimately, saliva helps you eat, speak and keep your mouth clean. Here are some of its many functions:
- Defends against cavities
- Washes away leftover food debris
- Moistens and breaks down food to ease swallowing and enhance the ability to taste
- Keeps your tooth surface strong by providing high levels of calcium, fluoride and phosphate ions at the tooth surface
The bottom line, saliva is important. But how do you keep it healthy so you keep healthy?
How To Maintain Healthy Saliva
Because saliva is crucial to your oral health, it’s important to consult with your dentist if you have inadequate saliva flow, also known as dry mouth. They’ll suggest ways to treat this condition. Here are some tips to stimulate your salivary glands so you will have a more sustained flow of fluid in your mouth:
- Stay hydrated by drinking at least eight glasses of water throughout the day
- Maintain a good oral hygiene routine to reduce the bad bacteria in the mouth
- Avoid smoking and chewing tobacco products
- Limit alcohol intake and stop the use of recreational drugs
- Notify your doctor if a prescribed medication dries your mouth
- Talk to your dentist about treatment options for snoring or breathing through your mouth at night
To prevent other oral health issues from arising, like tooth decay, you should seek professional advice if your dry mouth persists. If you're concerned about your lack of saliva, book an appointment with Kildonan Crossing Dental Centre today. Our dentists can help! You’ll find us in the strip mall at the northwest corner of Lagimodiere Boulevard and Regent Avenue.